Hard-right parties in Europe exhibit significant differences

Three hard-right political parties — Alternative for Germany, France’s Rassemblement National, and the Brothers of Italy — are gearing up for the June 6-9 elections to the European parliament. Despite their shared characteristics of strident nationalism, anti-immigrant and anti-Islam sentiments, and authoritarian tendencies, each party operates within its own national context, leading to subtle differences in policies and electoral prospects.

In a recent turn of events, the AfD, Germany’s hard-right party, faced a series of setbacks. An assistant to a senior AfD politician was arrested on suspicion of spying for China, while the politician himself is under investigation for receiving illegal payments from Russia and China. Additionally, a dispute between the AfD and Marine Le Pen’s RN party arose over France’s Indian Ocean possession of Mayotte, showcasing the differences between the two parties within the hard-right European parliament political group.

Interestingly, all three parties are led by women — Alice Weidel of the AfD, Marine Le Pen of RN, and Giorgia Meloni of FdI. This sets them apart from similar parties in other European countries led by men. The parties also differ in terms of centralised party discipline, continuity of leadership, and geographical support bases.

While polls suggest potential victories for RN and FdI in the upcoming EU elections, the AfD’s prospects are not as promising due to its concentrated support in eastern Germany. Each party also has distinct foreign policy stances, with Meloni being pro-Ukraine, Le Pen facing challenges due to Russophilia, and the AfD taking extreme positions on Russia and China.

As the June elections approach, the dynamics and differences among these hard-right parties in Europe continue to shape the political landscape and influence the future direction of the European Union.